Research Areas

Research Areas

Genetic Research

Our goal is to understand how genetic variation relates to human health and disease and genetics underlies almost all research at the DTR. We have collected genetic information on over 6,000 twins (both monozygotic and dizygotic) using both state of the art genotyping (Illumina platform) and whole genome sequencing (WGS) techniques.

We have collaborated with international research groups to identify genes causing the most common, and sometimes lethal, conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, fractures, and osteoarthritis.

Ageing

The longitudinal nature of TwinsUK makes it an ideal cohort in which to study the process of ageing. Our ageing research includes normal brain ageing, investigating the genetic and environmental determinants of cognitive decline, and age-related cardiovascular changes such as hypertension. We have also investigated diet and how fast we age by studying telomeres, which are markers of our biological clock.

Nutrition

At the Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London, we investigate how diet, genes, the microbiome, and lifestyle shape long-term health. Drawing on the unique TwinsUK cohort, we combine twin comparisons with deep phenotyping and multi-omic data (including genomics, metabolomics, and microbiome sequencing) to disentangle complex relationships between diet and health. Our nutrition research includes running randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to test the effects of dietary interventions on health, helping us understand how specific nutrients, foods and dietary patterns impact human biology as well as exploring different metabolomics datasets for metabolic markers of dietary exposures. By integrating observational data with interventional studies, we’re building an evidence base to inform real-world nutrition strategies that support healthy ageing and disease prevention. 

Microbiome

We are investigating how the microbiome is linked with health and diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Our microbiome research spans the breadth of the Department, and we use tools ranging from questionnaires and postal kits to new omics technologies.

Omics

Much of our research uses omics technologies. Our researchers are utilising metabolomics, glycomics, microbiomics, nutriomics and epigenomics to investigate the causes of common diseases.
In the last few years, new high-throughput technologies have allowed us to measure metabolites in human plasma, serum and urine and provided a new powerful tool to investigate the cause of common conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, and the influence of lifestyle choices such as smoking. To date we have assessed the metabolomic profiles of over 6,000 twins. We are also looking at metabolic markers in our blood to see if we can use these rather than questionnaires to measure what nutrients and vitamins we eat.
We are also comparing our diets with our gut microbiome, the composition of which can determine if we are fat or thin. We have characterised the gut microbiome of our twin volunteers using sequencing of 16s rDNA and entire metagenomes, to understand the role of the microbiome in human health and disease.
Epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, can be subject to genetic, environmental and stochastic influences, and can have important downstream effects on the regulation of gene expression, normal development and disease. Our research focuses on the epigenetic basis of human health and disease in twins, as well as on understanding the factors driving epigenetic variation.

COVID-19

During the pandemic, we worked on a number of different studies to understand the biology of COVID-19 and the body’s response, as well as the effects of the pandemic on physical and mental health. This was only possible thanks to the incredible commitment and support of our twins. We are very grateful to our twins, who took part in studies throughout the pandemic.

CARICE

To address the dual challenge of climate change and ageing populations, Prof Claire Steves, Head of Department together with researchers from across the university has set up the new King’s Centre for Ageing Resilience in a Changing environment (CARICE). The Centre works to understand the mechanisms that enable individuals to maintain health and full function, bringing together scientists and clinicians. It also provides a research environment to support early career researchers in this field. Check out the highlights from the CARICE Science and Networking Conference March 2025 here.

Learn More About CARICE
UK LLC

At TwinsUK, our research spans a diverse range of themes, all aimed at understanding the factors that influence human health and ageing. From exploring the role of genetics and omics in disease, to studying the microbiome, nutrition, and resilience in ageing, our work provides valuable insights into how we can improve health outcomes. We also contribute to large-scale initiatives such as the UK Longitudinal Linkage Collaboration (UK LLC) and play a key role in COVID-19 research. Each of these themes builds on over 30 years of data from our dedicated twin volunteers.